JPH11339366A - Disk reproducing device and information reading out method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To quickly provide the information in response to the request from the user. SOLUTION: This CD-ROM drive is provided with a disk motor 21 and a pickup 22 for reading out a TOC showing the data structure of a disk itself from the disk A by supplying the power and a volume descriptor(VD) in the data structure shown by the TOC, a buffer memory 28 or storing at least the VD out of those read out and a memory control part 27, and a system controlled micro-computer 32 stopping the disk motor 21, etc., to turn to the low power consumption mode after the VD is stored in the buffer memory 28. By this constitution, the data from the buffer memory are immediately read out in response to the request for read-out of the volume descriptor since the read-out means is made into the state waiting the input of request after the volume descriptor is read out and stored in the buffer memory at the last stage of the initializing process which is performed when the power is supplied.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a disk reproducing apparatus connected to, for example, a general-purpose computer or the like and an information reading method.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In general-purpose personal computers (hereinafter referred to as hosts), a disk reproducing device such as a CD-ROM drive is normally used as a built-in or external connection device. Recently, large-capacity DVD-R
Some hosts are equipped with an OM drive or the like as standard. The speed of these CD-ROM drives and DVD-ROM drives has been increased at a high speed, and those having 32 × speed reproduction have appeared. Although the rotation speed is increasing in this way, this type of disk playback device has more mechanical parts than devices such as hard disk drives, so it does not operate as the user operates the host key. , After the key operation by the user, there is absolutely a time delay until the information recorded on the disc is obtained,
That is, a time lag occurs.

In particular, in recent years, in a disk reproducing apparatus to which power is supplied from a host, when there is no read request from the host for a predetermined period of time, the operation of a disk motor for driving the disk is stopped. Functions are added.

When a user operates a key of the host to obtain a volume descriptor (hereinafter referred to as VD) as directory information of desired data while the power saving function is activated, that is, during the power saving mode, As shown in FIG. 4, the disk reproducing apparatus turns off the system power supply from the time when a VD read request is received from the host (S401).
N (S402), and rotationally drives the disk motor (S402).
403), read the VD data indicated by the TOC of the disk (S404), and return it to the host (S404).
405), it takes about several seconds, and there is a problem that information cannot be obtained at a timing desired by the user.

[0005]

As described above, in the conventional disk reproducing apparatus, there is a time lag on the order of several seconds until the user operates the key of the host and obtains information from the disk reproducing apparatus. There was a problem that information could not be obtained at the timing.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve such problems, and has as its object to provide a disk reproducing apparatus and an information reading method capable of promptly providing information in response to a request from a user. I have.

[0007]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a disk reproducing apparatus for reading information from a disk.
Reading means for reading, from the disk, management information indicating the data structure of the disk itself and a volume descriptor in the data structure indicated by the management information, and at least the volume descriptor read by the reading means from the disk; And a unit that, when the volume descriptor is stored in the buffer memory, causes the reading unit to wait for a request to be input.

According to the first and fourth aspects of the present invention, at the end of the initialization processing, before the rotation of the disk is stopped,
Since the volume descriptor which will be requested is read and stored in the buffer memory, when a read request for the volume descriptor comes, data can be immediately read from the buffer memory.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a disk reproducing apparatus for reading information from a disk, wherein the power supply supplies management information indicating a data structure of the disk itself and a data structure indicated by the management information. Reading means for reading a volume descriptor in the buffer, a buffer memory for storing at least the volume descriptor read by the reading means, and a request for the reading means when the volume descriptor is stored in the buffer memory. Means for waiting for input and reading a corresponding volume descriptor from the buffer memory when there is a read request for the volume descriptor, and transferring the read volume descriptor to a request source.

According to the second and fifth aspects of the present invention, at the end of the initialization processing, after reading the volume descriptor which will be requested and storing it in the buffer memory, the reading means is in a state of waiting for a request input, and the volume descriptor is read. When a read request arrives, the data is immediately read from the buffer memory and returned to the request source, so that the request source does not have to wait for referring to disk information.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the disk reproducing apparatus connected to the host computer, the management information indicating the data structure of the disk itself from the disk and the management information are provided by the power supply from the host computer. Reading means for reading a volume descriptor in a data structure indicated by information, a buffer memory for storing at least the volume descriptor read by the reading means, and when the volume descriptor is stored in the buffer memory. Means for setting the reading means to wait for a request input from the host computer; and, if no request is input from the host computer after a predetermined time has elapsed from the power supply, the reading means is placed in a power saving mode. Means to During the power saving mode, the case where the host computer had read request of the volume descriptor, reads the corresponding volume descriptor from said buffer memory, is characterized by comprising a means for transferring the host computer f.

According to the third aspect of the invention, at the end of the initialization processing, management information of the mounted disk, for example, TOC, and a volume descriptor in the data structure of the disk indicated by the management information are read. . Then, it waits for a command request from the host computer. In this state, the disk is rotated for a while to wait for a command. If there is no request from the host computer even after the lapse of a predetermined time, the rotation of the disk is stopped and the mode is shifted to the low power consumption mode.

When a read request for a volume descriptor is received from the host computer during operation in the low power consumption mode, conventionally, the reading means rotates the disk to read the TOC or the lead-in area of the disk. Although a time-consuming operation of returning data read to the host computer has been performed, according to the present invention, the volume descriptor stored in the buffer memory is immediately read and returned to the host computer. You do not have to wait to refer to the information.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the information reading method for reading information from a disk, a step of reading management information indicating a data structure of the disk itself from the disk, and the information is indicated by the read management information. The method includes a step of reading a volume descriptor in a data structure, a step of storing the read volume descriptor in a buffer memory, and a step of waiting for input of a request.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the information reading method for reading information from a disk, a step of reading management information indicating a data structure of the disk itself from the disk, and the information is indicated by the read management information. Reading the volume descriptor in the data structure, storing the read volume descriptor in a buffer memory, and waiting for the input of a request; and when there is a read request for the volume descriptor, the corresponding volume descriptor is read. Reading from the buffer memory and transferring it to the request source.

As a result, information can be promptly provided in response to a request from a user.

[0017]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a disk reproducing system according to one embodiment of the present invention.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a host computer main body (hereinafter, referred to as a host PC). This host PC1
In addition to input / output devices such as a keyboard 2 and a monitor 3,
A CD-ROM drive 4 is connected. This CD-
The ROM drive 4 and the host PC 1 are connected by a signal transmission cable 5 (such as a SCSI cable or an ATAPI cable) and a power cable 6 for supplying power from the host PC 1. The host PC 1 is a general-purpose personal computer, and has a CP mounted on a main board.
U, ROM, RAM, a hard disk drive, and the like are built in. An operation system (hereinafter referred to as an OS) stored in the hard disk drive is referred to as an R.
By reading to the AM, various application processes are executed under the environment of the OS.

As shown in FIG. 2, the OD-ROM drive 4 has a CD-ROM (hereinafter referred to as a disk A) as a recording medium.
), A pickup 22 that reads information (RF signal) from a disk A that is rotated by the disk motor 21, and amplifies the RF signal read by the pickup 22 according to the application. Amplifier 23, a servo signal amplifier 24, a CD signal processor 25 for reproducing information from the RF signal amplified by the RF amplifier 23, and a pickup 22 based on the tracking and focus signals amplified by the servo signal amplifier 24. Control unit 26 for stably controlling the position of the disc, and desired information from the signal processed by the CD signal processing unit 25, for example, TOC as system management information and position information of individual data to be reproduced indicated by the TOC. Volume directory as (directory information) A CD-ROM signal processing portion 27 for acquiring such descriptors (hereinafter referred to as VD), a buffer memory 28 that such has been TOC and VD obtained by CD-ROM signal processor 27 is recorded, the buffer memory 28
Control unit 29 that controls recording and reading of information to and from
And an interface control unit 30 for controlling the input and output of external and internal information, a connector 31 (for example, an SCS1 connector or an ATAPI connector) for connecting the external host PC 1 to the device, and controls the entire device. And a system control microcomputer 32.
In the case of CD-ROM, TOC is used, but DVD-R
In the case of OM or the like, it is lead-in.

Hereinafter, the operation of the disc reproducing apparatus will be described with reference to FIG.

In the case of this disk reproducing apparatus, a host PC
When power is supplied from the power supply 1 to the CD-ROM drive 4 via the power cable 6, the system control microcomputer 32 of the CD-ROM drive 4 performs an initialization process inside the device (S301 in FIG. 3). This initialization processing is processing such as initialization of the system of the entire apparatus, optimization of the currently mounted disc A, and focus search.

After system initialization, focus search, and the like, the system control microcomputer 32 controls the above-described units so that the TOC (or lead-in area) of the loaded disk A and the file structure indicated by the TOC are stored. The directory information written at the head of each of the files, that is, the VD is read (S302). Information such as TOC and VD read by the pickup 22 is stored in an RF amplifier 23, a CD signal processing unit 25, a CD-ROM.
The signal is temporarily stored (stored) in the buffer amplifier 28 via the signal processing unit 27. In this case, all the VDs may be read as long as the storage capacity of the buffer memory 28 permits, or only some of the VDs that the host PC 1 may request first may be read. .

Thereafter, the system control microcomputer 32 waits for a command request from the host PC 1. In this state, the disk motor 21 is rotated for a while and the host PC 1
From the host PC1, even if a predetermined time has elapsed after the initialization processing, that is, if there is no command input from the host PC1, the system control microcomputer 32 stops the rotation of the disk motor 21 (S303). Shift to low power consumption mode. That is, this CD-RO
In the M drive 4, the VD is read at the end of the initialization processing and stored in the buffer memory 28, and then the rotation of the disk motor 21 is stopped to shift to the low power consumption mode.

While the CD-ROM drive 4 is in the low power consumption mode, the host PC 1 sends the CD-RO
When a VD read request comes to the M drive 4 (S
304), since the system control microcomputer 32 instructs the memory control unit 29 to return the VD previously stored in the buffer memory 28 at the end of the initialization processing, the memory control unit 29 stores the VD in the buffer memory 28. The VD corresponding to the read request is read out from the buffer memory 28 and passed to the interface control unit 30, and the interface control unit 30 performs an operation of returning the passed VD to the host PC 1 through the connector 31.
That is, data is transferred from the buffer memory 27 (S30).
5) The host PC1 receives the data (S306).
During this time, that is, the time from when a request is received from the host PC 1 until the VD is returned to the host PC 1 is on the order of several hundred msec.

At the same time, the system control microcomputer 32
Turns on the system power supply (S307) and drives the disk motor 21 to rotate (S308) to prepare for the next request. Therefore, the user does not have to wait for referring to the directory information of the disk A after operating the keys on the host PC 1.

As described above, according to the disk reproducing apparatus of this embodiment, before the rotation of the disk motor 21 is stopped at the end of the initialization processing, the VD which will be read from the host PC 1 is read and the buffer memory is read. 28, when a VD read request is received from the host PC1, the data is immediately read from the buffer memory 28 and returned to the host PC1, so that the user may have to wait to refer to the information on the disk A. Disappears.

When a VD read request is received from the host PC 1 after shifting to the low power consumption mode, the data is immediately read from the buffer memory 28 and returned to the host PC 1, and the disk motor 21 is driven to Therefore, after referring to the information on the disk A, it is possible to quickly respond to the next operation by the user.

As a result, information can be promptly provided in response to a request from a user.

In the above-described embodiment, the time required for shifting to the power consumption mode is a predetermined time after the initialization processing, but may be a time after power-on.

[0031]

As described above, according to the first and fourth aspects of the present invention, after the volume descriptor is read and stored in the buffer memory at the end of the initialization processing performed when the power is supplied, the reading means is operated. Since the request input wait state is set, the data can be immediately read from the buffer memory in response to the volume descriptor read request.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, at the end of the initialization processing, the read volume descriptor is stored in the buffer memory, and then the mode shifts to the low power saving mode. When the host computer receives a volume descriptor read request. Since the volume descriptor of the buffer memory is immediately returned to the host computer, the user of the host computer does not have to wait for referring to the information on the disk.

According to the second and fifth aspects of the present invention, at the end of the initialization processing, after reading the volume descriptor which will be requested and storing it in the buffer memory, the reading means is set to a state of waiting for a request input, and When a descriptor read request arrives, data is immediately read from the buffer memory and returned to the request source, so that the request source does not have to wait for referring to the disk information.

As a result, information can be promptly provided in response to a request from a user.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a disk reproducing apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an internal configuration of the disc reproducing apparatus.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an operation of the disc reproducing apparatus.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an operation of a conventional disk reproducing apparatus.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Host PC, 2 Keyboard, 3 Monitor, 4 C
D-ROM drive, 5: signal transmission cable, 6: power cable, 21: disk motor, 22: pickup, 23: RF amplifier, 24: servo signal amplifier, 2
5: CD signal processing unit, 26: servo control unit, 27: CD
-ROM signal processing unit, 28 ... buffer memory, 29 ... memory control unit, 30 ... interface control unit, 31 ... connector, 32 ... system control microcomputer.

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A disk reproducing apparatus for reading information from a disk, comprising: reading means for reading, from a power supply, management information indicating a data structure of the disk itself and a volume descriptor in the data structure indicated by the management information by supplying power; A buffer memory that stores at least the volume descriptor read by the reading unit; and a unit that, when the volume descriptor is stored in the buffer memory, causes the reading unit to wait for a request input. A disk reproducing apparatus characterized by doing the following. 2. A disk reproducing apparatus for reading information from a disk, comprising: reading means for reading, from a power supply, management information indicating a data structure of the disk itself and a volume descriptor in the data structure indicated by the management information by supplying power; A buffer memory for storing at least the volume descriptor read by the reading means; and when the volume descriptor is stored in the buffer memory, the reading means is set to a request input waiting state, and the volume descriptor is Means for reading out a corresponding volume descriptor from the buffer memory when there is a read request, and transferring the read volume descriptor to a request source. 3. A disk playback device connected to a host computer, wherein, when power is supplied from the host computer, management information indicating a data structure of the disk itself from the disk and a volume in the data structure indicated by the management information Reading means for reading the descriptor, a buffer memory for storing at least the volume descriptor read by the reading means, and when the volume descriptor is stored in the buffer memory, the reading means is read from the host computer. Means for waiting for a request input; means for setting the reading means to a power saving mode when a request is not input from the host computer even after a predetermined time has elapsed from the power supply; In addition, the host If the computer had read request of the volume descriptor,
Means for reading a corresponding volume descriptor from said buffer memory and transferring it to said host computer. 4. An information reading method for reading information from a disk, comprising: reading management information indicating a data structure of the disk itself from the disk; and reading a volume descriptor in the data structure indicated by the read management information. And storing the read volume descriptor in a buffer memory, and waiting for a request to be input. 5. An information reading method for reading information from a disk, comprising: reading management information indicating a data structure of the disk itself from the disk; and reading a volume descriptor in the data structure indicated by the read management information. Storing the read volume descriptor in a buffer memory and waiting for an input of a request; and when there is a read request for the volume descriptor, reading the corresponding volume descriptor from the buffer memory and transferring it to the request source. And an information reading method.